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Overheating?

5K views 61 replies 13 participants last post by  TheShadow395 
#1 ·
My PC keeps freezing up, sometimes with a constant beep. This has only happened for the last few days, since the weather has got very hot, and seems to happen when the CPU temperature hits 60, but this morning it happened at 54. I have a GeForce 4 (MX440), which I think are known for heat issues, and since I can't see that my Athlon 2400XP could be overheating at 60, I thought maybe the graphics card is? I don't yet have any case fan(s).

I'll post more details when I can but it'll probably crash again in a minute and it takes awhile before it'll boot up again.

Mobo: ASROCK K7S8X
CPU: AMD Athlon 2400+
RAM: 512MB DDR @ 333

Any advice at all appreciated.
 
#2 ·
It could be either. Where do you get the temperature reading for the processor? You have to be careful about temp. readings, if you just get the temp from the CPU fan it will be off, as this isn't the actual temperature of the CPU core. Make sure whatever program your using gets its temp. from the core, or, next time it freezes restart and enter BIOS to see what the core temp says.

You should invest in some good case airflow. I'm working up a sweat just imagining that sauna in there :D
 
#4 ·
I start to investigate the problem when cpu temp goes above 55C for an xp. There are other things that can overheat; you have identified one in the video card. Others are memory, chipset ie northbridge.
As a simple test, open the case and leave it off. Place a small desk type fan blowing air into the case. If the problem stops, you have found the cause to be oheating. You will need to invest in better cooling. If it still gives you problems with a fan blowing into the case, you have other problems. Post back with results.
 
#6 ·
Hey Shadow, What type of thermal grease are you using? I just did a new build(my 1st one) with a P4 2.8Ghz prescott core. :D I got rid of the stock cooling heatsink and fan and replaced it with the Zalmar listed below. I used the thermal grease that came with the Zalmar. I was running 68C under load. :eek: It was suggested in this forum that I change from the thermal grease that came with the Zalmar and use Artic Silver 5. :up: My temp went from 68C to 54C under load and to 39C no load. What a difference :eek: The guide to use is at thier site. Good luck!
 
#7 ·
4steve44: Not sure, but cheap. Thanks, I'll have a look for that stuff.

Okay, update:

PC ran fine steadily from about 7am - 3pm today. Didn't go over about 55°. Then, a little after three, the temperature started rising. Reached 60°, then just as I was getting alarmed, it dropped quickly down to 55°, but then froze shortly after.

Turned it off, left it for an hour or two. Opened up the case to look at the CPU fan, it looks pretty dusty but I'm not really sure. The metal grills underneath seem to be coated in dust below the fan axle.

I put the case back on and turn it on. POSTs okay, etc, reach Windows. Freezes up and I hear a motor stop inside. Couldn't say whether it was a fan or a drive. A red line appeared at the top of the screen, about ten pixels down, and speckled with random colours. The bottom edge of the was uneven too. I press the power button and it instantly goes off, where normally I have to hold it down for about five seconds (even when it's frozen before).

Is it time to panic? What should I do about the heatsink? Compressed air? Hoover?

Finally, any opinion on these as regards to cooling?:
http://www.aria.co.uk/ProductInfoComm.asp?ID=242

To suck in air, mounted in the bottom PCI slot? I can't see where I could get a 'sucking' fan at the front of the case
 
#11 ·
I would use vacuum first and then compressed air. A pipe cleaner works well to get anything stuck to the fins. Clean your video card and anything else with fins.

You didn’t mention anything about blowing a fan into the computer. I wouldn’t turn it on again without that in case you haven’t already blown the processor or whatever is overheating.

60 degrees won’t usually blow a processor, but you probably aren’t reading the actual chip temp as has been suggested.
 
#12 ·
Check with the fan blowing into the case. Have you checked task mgr to see if a process is using a large percentage of cpu cycles? Processor temp is directly related to load; if the load is high, then the temp will increase.

While the case is open, and after you blow it out, power it up and make sure all fans are working. Sometimes a fan will lockup with dust, dirt, etc.
 
#14 ·
crj: No processes are heavily loading the system. CPU usage ~5% in XP. I even left it running in the BIOS setup and it froze after a few minutes. The only fan in there is the CPU fan.

slipe: Thanks. I'll go'n buy some pipe cleaners in a bit. Don't have a vacuum cleaner with a narrow enough head to be able to clean anything though.

zeddy: I don't really want to resort to that if I can avoid it. I ended up taking what was going to be my first custom build to a local PC shop at the heatsink-fitting point because I was terrified of breaking it. Couldn't figure out the odd-shaped wide silver clips on each side.

List of what I've tried trouble-shooting wise:

0615 ... Didn't POST, no monitor output.

0637 ... With case off and desk fan blowing into tower, working okay.

0639 ... Monitor returned to standby, three beeps repeatedly from tower. Thirty-two degrees.

0652 ... Tried powering up again. Monitor stayed in standby. No POST beeps whatsoever.

0859 ... Got to Windows fine.

0902 ... Monitor went, three beep pattern.

0927 ... Powering up okay.

0930 ... Three beeps, no monitor output.

0945 ... Powering up okay into BIOS setup

0948 ... Froze silently at BIOS hardware monitoring screen.

1017 ... Reseated RAM in bank 0 from bank 1. I seem to have omitted to log the result, but I think the monitor went and it stopped dead silently (silent = no beeps).

1022 ... Removed video card and tried to power up. Greeted by two very short beeps followed by ten or so slightly longer ones.

1023 ... Video card replaced (put back in, not a new card). Monitor stayed in standby. No POST beeps.

1024 ... Removed RAM. Three-beep pattern immediately at startup. Same when I checked again shortly after.

1025 ... RAM replaced in bank 0. Boots fine.

1028 ... Reached Windows XP welcome screen. Restarted into Linux.

1040 ... Worked fine in Red Hat. Rebooted into XP (this session). Case is still open, tower on its side. 42°.

1059 ... Finished typing and repeatedly editing this post to ensure as much as possible made it to the 'net. CPU reported temperature is still 42°, mobo temp. is "33°".


Thanks very very much for all the help so far. I took a few quick snaps of the inside of my PC [here] on the off-chance you can see anything. Sorry they're huge resolution and little-compressed, but I didn't want to risk not being able to upload them at all by leaving it too long and the PC dying again.
 
#17 ·
I agree get a can of air and blow that dust out, check the video card fan as well for dust. I would then get a case fan and stick it on the back of the case so it can pull the air out and away from the CPU fan exhaust.
 
#18 ·
So I take it that it is running fine with the side cover off and a desk fan blowing into the case? In order to be sure, you might want to download an app that will stress the system. I use prime95; it will stress your system. If it works fine with the cover off, you will need to invest in better cooling. Post your cooling config ie one exhaust and one intake fan, etc.
 
#19 ·
I'd love to think it's a cooling issue but it seems just a little inconsistent. The PC hasn't always worked with the desk fan blowing into it. According to my rapidly-filling logbook the monitor went into standby and the system speaker kept beeping a three-beep pattern at a reported temperature of 32° with the case open and the desk fan in.

I've cleaned up the CPU cooler a fair bit with pipe cleaners, and the graphics card is only very slightly dusty on the non-heatsink side. I've installed a case fan at the back-top, next to the CPU fan but at right-angles to it, and blowing the air outwards.

It seemed fine, but I logged on, went downstairs for ten minutes to get a drink, came back and it had finished starting up and frozen again. 40° reported CPU temp.

I restarted, the monitor stayed in standby and the PC didn't post. HDD activity light stayed on for about 20s.

I noticed that Num Lock seems to be on when this happens; it usually flickers very briefly around POST and stays off till after I've logged on. I've got an AMI BIOS.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for all your continuing help :)
 
#20 ·
I couldn't tell from the pics, what brand and wattage is your powersupply? This is starting to look like a powersupply or motherboard issue.

How long have you had the motherboard? Do you know offhand if its still under warranty?
 
#22 ·
Check with the manufacturer. You'd be surprised how long warranties on motherboards usually last...Asus has a three year replacement warranty.

Your problem could definitely be caused by your powersupply: do you have any on hand to check?
 
#23 ·
To find if it is a hardware or software issue, run the computer in safe mode. Run something in safe mode to stress the system like prime95. If it restarts in safe mode, you have a hardware problem. If it run fine in safe mode [running prime95 for a few hours] you have a software, driver, tsr problem.
 
#24 ·
crjdriver: Thanks, but I've had the PC freeze in the BIOS setup. If you still think it's worth it then I'll give it a try.

WarC: Well, I've got a low-watt one somewhere, but I doubt it's up to it. Thanks for the news about the motherboard. May have to bear that in mind :(
 
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